Samsung announces Galaxy Player 5.8, is still in the PMP/MID game

Most of the time, we talk about smartphones and tablets here at Pocketables, but sometimes it is nice to look at a slightly different product category. While there aren’t a lot of personal media players (PMPs) being released these days, PMPs and mobile internet devices historically made up the majority of the devices we wrote about here. Although the category seems to be on the verge of dying out, Samsung is one of the few manufacturers to continue releasing new touchscreen media players. Its latest such device is the Galaxy Player 5.8, a direct successor to the Galaxy Player 5.0.

As the name suggests, the Galaxy Player 5.8 comes with a 5.8-inch display, but it isn’t the HD variety found in most of Samsung’s products. Instead, it is a good old 960 x 540 LCD, which leaves a bit to be desired in terms of pixel density. (On the large 5.8-inch display, it results in a pixel density of about 190ppi.) The player does have plenty of connectivity, with WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS, and comes with the all-important microSD card slot to compliment the 16GB or 32GB of internal memory. The Player also includes a front-facing VGA camera, and large 2,500mAh battery.

Software shouldn’t be an issue with the Galaxy Player 5.8, as it comes with Android 4.0 along with the usual TouchWiz goodies. Even if you aren’t a fan of TouchWiz, it is good news that Samsung isn’t still stuck on Gingerbread.

There aren’t yet any details on the price or release date of the product, but these should surface in a couple of days at IFA 2012. Although some users may be disappointed by the low-res display, it is important to keep in mind that this display will likely save quite a bit of battery compared to a higher resolution panel, and may have been a conscious decision in order to extend the battery life of the device as a media player. As such, I think that the Galaxy Player 5.8 is worth taking a look at if you are in the market for an iPod touch-like device – provided that it is eventually released in the US.

About the Author

Aaron Orquia is an associate editor at Pocketables. He has been using Android and Linux since he bought his first computer years ago, and his interest in technology, software, and tweaking both to work just right has only grown stronger since then. His current gadgets include a OnePlus One, a Pebble smartwatch, and an Acer C720 Chromebook.

His would be a great public transport device. I like the idea of a pocketable device that can be used as a reader and a pmp, but can fit in a jacket pocket.

Jason Lawrence

OMG NEXUS 7 TABLET!!!!! I WANT ONE!!! :D

Pax

I really like this device and it may very well replace my Kindle Fire. I’m not surprised that the specs in some areas are in the mid to low-range. Samsung did the same with the 5.0 player when it introduced it along with the Note I (5.3″ smartphone). Now they’re doing the same because of their recently announced Note II (5.5″ smartphone).

Still… a more pocketable device than my KF, better PPI, better OS. The only thing I wish it had was a rear camera in line with their Note II.